DJ Akademiks
DJ Akademiks
Livingston Allen (popularly known as DJ Akademiks, born May 17,1991) [19] is a Jamaican-American entertainment media personality. He covers various hip-hop news and entertainment items on the radio and on Social media. His videos is composed in audio commentaries layered on top of stitched-together GIFs. [2] [5]
Early Life & Education
DJ Akademiks was born in Spanish Town, Jamaica. He live to the United States in 2001, during his high school years. He had trouble adjusting to the New York ,United States (USA) culture.
After graduating high school, he went to Rutgers University. There, he earned a Bachelor's degree in Biomathematics. He also developed a passion for music production, which eventually turned into DJing. [20]
He continued taking classes at Rutgers, as he eventually wants to attain a Master's degree in Math Finance. [20]
Career
While he was attending Rutgers, Allen started his own website, Late Night Creep.
On it, he covered hip-hop music news. He later expanded to the urban entertainment industry, posting light-hearted and satirical videos on YouTube. His YouTube channel started to gain significant popularity in 2014 due partly to his coverage of the drill music scene in Chicago. [20]
In 2018, DJ Akademiks started his new music project, Lil AK.
In December 2018, he released the first EP called Clout Chaser, consisting of 4 tracks. On February 13, 2019, he released a track featuring Teka$hi69, called LANES. The song gained almost 3 million views on Youtube in 8 months. On October 18, 2019, he released his new single Hypebeast.[37]
Social Media
Controversy
In 2018, DJ Akademiks became a part of a controversy after a rival blog Hip Hop Overload started claiming that Akademiks was an informant working for federal agents, to help bring down the rapper Teka$hi69 (6ix9ine) for racketeering. The blog stated that Tekashi’s former manager Kifano Jordan called him a fake best friend of the rapper, and agreed to an informant role to help him avoid being charged with obstruction of justice.[30]
Following these allegations, DJ Akademiks approached the media company TMZ to proclaim his innocence. In a public statement, he said that he has never been questioned nor co-operated in any of the issues he’s been accused of. Kifano Jordan’s lawyer also made a statement denying his client had been in any interview that implicated someone in crime.[30]
Beefs
Vic Mensa Beef
During an episode of Everyday Struggle, Vic Mensa showed that he was visibly irritated by Akadamiks' War In Chiraq Youtube series. Akademiks spoke ill about someone Vic had known since he was a little kid. Vic Mensa called him a bitch and told him he should be slapped. The drama was forgotten until Ak brought it back on his song "Trap American". He takes a swipe at Vic Mensa with the lyrics: [45]
"A million views, we up next/Vic Mensa upset/Always chillin’ on set/Thots breakin’ they necks"
Nicki Minaj Beef
Dj Akademiks dropped a four-hour-long video live on his Twitch account, detailing how the beef between himself and Nicki Minaj had come to fruition. He later wrote a diss track called "Take Care Babe" with lyrics like: [46]
"Don’t be playing, don’t be playing like you know me / Tell Nicki she can fuck me on her IG / Barbies is for kids why you tryna be lit / way to old to be forcing sales dropping no hits / time is up I smell fatigue sit down you’ve reached your peak"
Akademiks was swiftly eviscerated by Nicki's fan base and he even released screenshots from conversations where she threatened him: [47]
"You been mad since I made a joke about you with joe on my show.
The ppl you rep won’t be able to stop ya jaw from getting broke.
I know too much about your family for you to be playing with me u hoe ass rat.
Where u at now?"
Eminem Beef
After trashing Eminem's ninth studio album with Joe Budden on Everyday Struggle., Em dropped some lyrics attacking Akademiks in the song "The Fall": [48]
"Somebody tell Budden before I snap, he better fasten it or have his body bag get zipped .
The closest thing he's had to hits is smackin' bitches and don't make me have to give it back to Akademiks .
Say this shit is trash again, I'll have you twisted"
Migos and Joe Budden
"I ain’t left off ‘Bad and Boujee.
You think I’m left off ‘Bad and Boujee,"
"DJ Akademiks is one of the biggest pussies I've ever seen in my entire life.
He should never comment on anything that has to do with physicality.
Well you gotta stop talking sometimes when you're a pussy...
There's nothing wrong with being a pussy, but you got to be a pussy to the corner sometimes.
Just shut up."
Clowned By Erykah Badu
In one episode of Everyday Struggle, Erykah Badu kept telling DJ Akademiks that he reminded her of someone. He bought into it, thinking it might be some kind of spiritual past life thing. She finally revealed that it was Tom from Tom and Jerry that he reminded her of. [52]
Beef With Nav
Rapper Nav fired off a tweet on On December 31 trashtalking Akademiks: [56]
“Akademiks hop on and off d*ck so much he prolly got STDs”
Akademiks quickly replied with: [56]
“Sorry bro I only want Lizzo. Btw this is the statement repeated by every rapper who cold…. I post the hot sh*t sorry”
Dj Akademiks then started piling on the insults: [56]
“Also to add some context… as rich as Nav is he’s admitted to go out of his way for TMZ/Paparazzi attention.. and they ignore him and it bothers him.
Sad that these rich ass rappers still judge themselves off blogs/attention n desperately crave it.”
Akademiks went on to raise the ante: [56]
“[A]ddress u dying for attention & being salty u didn’t get it.
That’s why u call out a media ngga. I ain’t never seen u call out a Rapper. Why? Nggas stole ur Style & went further wit it and u had to smile while u hurt inside u ain’t never call them out on twitter.”
He finished by attacking Nav's timidity amongst his peers: [56]
“Im done though…anyway @beatsbynav…next time just subtweet me like all the rappers you’d never call out directly on twitter…but u stay dissing on here.
Remember u dont get points off dissing akademiks.
And i got all the time.
Hope paparazzi recognize u in 2020,” AK wrote.
Meek Mill Beef
In June 2020, DJ Akademiks said he was suing Meek Mill after calling him a sensitive gangsta. The beef revolved around a third party -Teka$hi69 (6ix9ine). Meek Mill and Tekashi are on opposing ends, and Tekashi is a very close friend of DJ Akademiks. While 6ix9ine was in prison, Meek unfollowed Akademiks on social media, and Akademiks went off on Meek, calling him a hypocrite for trashing Teka$hi69 (6ix9ine) when, himself, is aligned to Roc Nation Management which is headed by a woman who previously served as a government drug informant. Meek demanded that Akademiks stop throwing his name around, and the DJ obliged, but he stepped back on his decision as he went on a rant all about the Meek Mill. [59]
During the Instagram Live, Akademiks called Meek's toughness into question, claiming that he only goes after those who are too weak or unprepared to defend themselves.
An example he used was the scuffle that ensued between Meek, his ex Nicki Minaj, and her husband Kenneth Petty in an LA boutique. "I've never seen Meek Mill press an actual gangsta," Akademiks said during the 20-minute-long monologue. "But they can’t wait to run into the blog n. I've never seen Meek do nothing to another hood n."[59]
On July 30, 2020, Akademiks revealed via his Instagram page that he went to the cops following Meek Mill’s call for the "green light" to be put on the social medial personality. "Nah you online!! you just make money off the trenches … next phase is like green light," was Meek’s exact response to Akademiks' "Pick a side, savage or activist" tweet. Akademiks' reasoning for going to the police was the following: "I'm just not into being bullied," he said.[65]
After Mill threatened to have him canceled, DJ Akademiks asked the rapper what happened with that, challenging him to a one-on-one fight and claiming that Meek really has no power in the industry.
"Meek, you're not that na," said Akademiks on Live. "I want you, on an industry level, to bully me. You can't do it. I feel so offended. I'm not challenging Meek on no street level. I'm challenging Meek because he thinks he's that n a. Meek, you can not do anything on an industry level to Akademiks. When you think you can, talk to me. Otherwise, I heard Roc Nation put you on mute." "You thinking that you could cancel me, you must be out of your fucking mind. I'll sit here every day and say that. Meek Mill can't do nothing. Who do you think I am, Meek? You're unimportant. You think this 2015 or 2016 or even 2014?" Later in the stream, Akademiks challenges Meek Mill to a one-on-one fight, claiming that the Mill would never accept. He also said that, after their feud, Nicki Minaj has respect for him.[66]
Freddie Gibbs Beef
The war with Freddie Gibbs started after Akademiks labeled the rapper irrelevant during a debate on Complex’s YouTube show Everyday Struggle. Akademiks was commenting on an interview Gibbs did where the rapper called his former record label CEO, Jeezy, irrelevant. "If Jeezy is irrelevant, Freddie Gibbs you're absolutely irrelevant," Ak said on the show. Freddie Gibbs responded: "I'll give a bad bitch 5k if they admit to sleeping with Akademiks". Akademiks was triggered by this tweet and responded to the Indiana rapper. "Freddie … don’t play urself … u not even more successful more than me. Relax ur self kid. U underground. Don't try to ever play me. If u really wanna try me me.. a BLOGGER. Let’s go," Akademiks said.[60]
The series of tweets may have alcohol fueled as Everyday Struggle co-host Wayno said on Twitter during Akademiks tweetstorm against Gibbs. "Ak Drunk", he wrote.[60]
Chrissy Teigen Beef
In June 2020, Akademiks posted on Instagram that John Legend’s new album Bigger Love sold 26,000 copies in the opening week and called it an L. Teigen responded to his post in a comment that has since been deleted. On June 30, he was streaming on Twitch.tv and told Legend to check his wife and pretty much told her to "suck a dick." "I don't care if you John Legend's bitch or any other bitch," Akademics said. "How about you take that fucking big ass mouth of yours and that fucking weird ass looking face and start promoting your man's album and maybe he wouldn't do 25,000 fucking first week."[61]
In July 2020, Complex Ambition, a multimedia company, suspended Akademiks after a sexist rant about Chrissy Teigen. He was also suspended from Twitch where he used his platform to attack Teigen. DJ Akademiks issued an apology later without saying Chrissy Teigen’s name. Akademiks claims that he spoke to management at Complex about the comments as well as his Everyday Struggle co-host Nadeska Alexis. Akademiks says in the video that he'll be taking the next two episodes off. "I definitely want to start off by kind of apologizing for some of the stuff that has been going on outside of the show… I think I definitely went over the line when I was addressing a few women and I just felt that wasn't right… Even seeing the clip it looks nasty," Akademiks said in the apology video.[62]
Juice WRLD Videos
In December 2019, DJ Akademiks shared videos that show the rapper Juice WRLD inside the private plane that was heading to Chicago shortly before his death. One video appears to show Juice in the air during the plane ride from California to Chicago, Illinois. The other appears to show the plane on the tarmac in Chicago.[41]
DJ Akademiks wrote that videos were from Juice WRLD’s final trip in the early morning hours of December 8, 2019. In the first video he shared, DJ Akademiks wrote, "This was Juice Wrld as he got on the plane that took him to Chicago last night. He was in high spirits and looked happy." In another tweet, Akademiks wrote, "More footage of Juice Wrld on his private jet which was headed to Chicago. Seems like everything was good and everyone including him was in high spirits until he landed." He posted the video this Instagram account too.[41]
Akademiks also wrote: "Hip Hop needs Grief Counselors… to see so many young fans have to deal with the death of their favorite artists and try to make sense of it’s disheartening but it’s as well disheartening seeing people not understand how each person chooses to grieve or how people deal w/ a loss."
DJ added, "RIP Juice… I was suppose to link wit him this weekend.
I feel so guilty that our last phone call I told him I would call him back then didn’t cuz I said ‘imma see u this weekend’…" He also posted a video about Juice WRLD’s death on Youtube.[41]
Hip Hop By The Numbers Plagiarism
Drake Shoutout
In a clip from the Twitch stream, Drake says:
"Akademiks, you're allowed on the live tonight, man.
We had a good talk the other day, man.
You're allowed on live tonight."
He proceeds to play the previously-released "Chicago Freestyle" that appears on Dark Lane Demo Tapes, while Akademiks yells "Let's goooooooo!" at the top of his lungs.
He starts jumping up and down and spinning in circles, causing concrete damage.
"I just broke my chair!" he declares, although he shows little concern for that.
He goes on to shout, "I TOLD YOU!" to everybody watching, before pounding his fists on the wall.
The moment clearly meant a lot to him, and his reaction was so intense that it actually froze Drake's screen during the Twitch session.[57][58]
Personal Life
DJ Akademiks currently resides in New York City.